


give a lot, a whole lot received

by sandpapersnowman



Category: The Magnus Archives (Podcast)
Genre: Accidental Love Confession Somehow, Canon Compliant, Demiromantic/Demisexual Jonathan Sims, Getting Together, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Pining, Unrequited Crush, Unrequited Love, as far as i know anyway i'm just about to finish season 3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-31
Updated: 2019-05-31
Packaged: 2020-03-29 22:19:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19029073
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/sandpapersnowman/pseuds/sandpapersnowman
Summary: Jon's not sure how he never saw it before, especially because it's — God,he'sso obvious, looking back — but Martin walks into his office with tea and a smile and Jon simply knows Martin loves him.(maybe spoilers up to 116ish!)





	give a lot, a whole lot received

**Author's Note:**

> i finished not one but Two different jon/martin fics last night bc i'm an animal! the other will be going up later today/early tomorrow lmao
> 
> title from phoenix's [Funky Squaredance](https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/phoenix/funkysquaredance.html)

Martin loves him.

Jon's not sure how he never saw it before, especially because it's — God, _he's_ so obvious, looking back — but Martin walks into his office with tea and a smile and Jon simply knows Martin loves him. Martin has had a crush on him since their first Archive staff meeting, finding him odd in a charming way and handsome for someone who seems to care so little for anything but academia, and that tiny spark of interest blossomed and lit into a longing that weighs so heavily on his shoulders it makes Jon's spine ache.

The Beholding has been the cause of a lot of awkward moments as of late, but this might take the cake.

"Martin," he blurts out, before he can leave to go back to whatever he'd been working on before he offered to make Jon tea. "Could you stay a moment?"

Martin's steps stutter on his way to the door, but he does stop.

"Sure, Jon," he says, a note of surprise high in his voice. "Is something wrong?"

_Yes_ , Jon thinks. It's wrong that Martin has kept this secret for so long. Some days Jon is all he thinks about, imagining confessions and first dates and — and _affair_. Entanglement between sheets, pressed into corners at the Institute, hot mouths gasping against each other while they rut and rub and grope out their desperations.

Jon stands from his desk and steps toward him, unsure of what to say. Does he simply tell Martin he knows? If he does, Martin will expect a rejection or acceptance, right? _Could_ Jon just tell him that romance and sex just aren't something on his mind very often, and he'd never considered Martin as a prospect simply because he hasn't considered _anyone_ lately?

"Jon?" Martin asks again. "Is everything alright?"

"I'm sorry," Jon finds himself saying. How hadn't he _noticed_ it? The moony smiles in his peripheral vision, the lingering looks, the dreamy staring when Martin thinks Jon doesn't notice him, the _tea_.

All things considered, if Jon _were_ to be involved with someone, it'd be someone like Martin, wouldn't it? He's just as dedicated to his work and it happens to be the _same_ work for them both, which is a plus. He's kind, and funny, and he's... He's _complementary_. He tells Jon when he's overworking himself even if Jon has yet to listen and slow down, and Jon reassures him and helps him disprove his delusions when his paranoia gets bad enough and he _swears_ he can hear _crawling, squelching wet noises_ every time he turns around. They work well together as coworkers, and _friends_ , and it... It'd make sense. Jon already cares for him as a friend.

Maybe this has been a long time coming, he realizes, because rather than true shock or confusion, he's mostly _thrilled_.

" _Jon_ ," Martin says again, more concerned. "What's wrong?"

Jon swallows.

"I didn't know," he says softly. "I — Jesus, you've been patient with me," he laughs in disbelief. Every time he's scolded Martin for something or been rude to him, as infrequent as those moments have become, Martin was still holding that torch for him. Jon wants to be the man Martin thinks he is, chivalrous and smart and interesting. "I'm kind of unobservant for a limb of the Eye, aren't I?"

Martin reaches out to hover over Jon's arm, as though he's prepared to steady him if he falls.

"What are you talking about?" he asks again. "You're worrying me."

"Your feelings for me," Jon breathes, and Martin freezes. "They suddenly became so clear, and it's been so hard on you to work with me and not want to say anything, but you're — it's okay," he laughs again.

Martin has stepped back coldly, taking his hand back from its worried closeness.

"Did Basira tell you?" Martin asks suddenly.

"No, I —"

"— Melanie, then?"

" _No_ ," Jon insists. "I just _knew_ , suddenly, from nowhere, from the Beholding. I should have known before, from common sense, but that's... Wait, _Basira_ knew?"

"She promised she wouldn't say anything, yeah," Martin mumbles. "I hadn't planned on telling you because I know you're not...? I know you don't feel the same," he admits quietly. "I'm sorry you've been put in this position."

Jon frowns.

"I've never considered it," Jon says sternly. "It's no judgement on your character or how I regard you, I just don't consider intimate relationships with people by default."

Martin seems to wince at his words.

"Right. I'll be going, then," he says quickly, reaching for the door.

" _Martin_ ," Jon yelps, "this isn't a rejection."

Martin lowers his hand from the doorknob.

"It's not?" he asks suspiciously.

"No," Jon beams. "I'd never considered it before, but I considered it now," he explains. "If you wanted to get lunch, or dinner, or something."

After a moment of hesitation, Martin's shoulders relax a fraction.

"As in a date," Martin confirms. "Together."

Jon nods.

"And you're serious? This isn't a joke, or a prank, or something?"

Jon's face twists in concern as another pinprick of Knowing comes, makes him a spectator to Martin finding a love letter in his desk at school and being stood up for a laugh, and he makes a mental note to pay a visit to the young man whose name Martin still remembers.

"I'm serious," he promises. "I'm interested in seeing how it would go."

The reality of the situation, that _Jon_ has asked _him_ out, sinks in, and Martin blushes a hundred shades of red and looks away again, this time in shyness rather than humiliation.

"Wow," he breathes. "Okay, I... Yeah. We could go to that cafe for lunch? Unless you think that's too soon?"

Jon smiles at him with a carefulness he'd never thought he had in him.

"That sounds lovely."

"Okay," Martin says again. "Okay, I have to go, but... Yeah. _Wow_. Okay. I'll come by at lunch."

"Okay," Jon agrees. "See you then."

Martin slips out of his office with one last happy laugh, and it takes almost no effort to 'see' him leaning against a wall in the hallway to catch his breath, muttering _we're having lunch_ to himself over and over.

Funnily, Jon finds himself repeating it, too.

**Author's Note:**

> supplemental: i started season 4 and i crave that Soft Jon/Martin. find me in agony over on my tumblr [here!](sandpapersnowman.tumblr.com)


End file.
